Wheel-harrow



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0. MURRAY. A

WHEEL HABROW.

No. 255,006. Patented'Mar. 14,1882.

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ATTORNEY 2 sheets-sheet 2. C.`MURRAY. v WHBBLHARROW.

(Model.)

No. 255,006.V Patented Mar. 14,1882. f

INVENTOR WiTNEsss m w ATTORNE? l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

CRAIG MURRAY, OF VICKVSBURGQASSIGNOR TO SPENCER J. WTING, OF

SCHOOLCRAFT, MICHIGAN.

WHEEL-HARROW.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 255,006, dated March 14, 1882.

Application tiled February 10, 1381.- (Model.)

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CRAIG MURRAY, of Vicksburg, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Barrows; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference bein g had'to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wheel-harrows, the object of the same being to provide a wheel-harrowof such construction that the rock-shafts to which the teeth are attached may be divided into two or more sections, each sectionconsistiug of two or more rock-shafts, connected by suitable mechanism in such a manner that each section eau rock or `rotate independent ot' the other; also, to

. provide means whereby the teeth shall be self,- regulatin g,bein g controlled and operated so as to cause the teeth to be adjusted to `the inequalities of the surface of the ground; also, to provide means whereby the rock-shafts are :free to rock backward or forward when looked in working position, thus leaving the teeth free to operate up and down in a line parallel.

to the surface of the ground, yet held rnily therein by the operating force of one upon the other; also, to provide means whereby the operator can, while either riding or walking,

fthrow into or ont of engagement with the ground either or both sections of the rocking shafts without stopping the machine; and a further object is to provide means for fastening the teeth to the rock-shafts without weakening the same, and allowing of any adjustmentthereon withoutbeing removed and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain details in construction and combinations ot parts, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in lthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in perspective of my improved har row. Fig.2 is a vertical section taken through the lines fr a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the clip for securing the harrow-tooth tothe rock- .through the collar and pole.

shaft. Fig. 4 is a View of the barrow-tooth. Fig.5 is a view of the combined operating-le ver and connecting-rod, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of one of the harrow-teeth secured to its roek-shat`t.l

The harrow-,frame is composed of the front and rear beams, A A', end beams, B B', and braces a, a', a2, and a3,which latter are secured between the front and rear beams, A A', in any desired manner. The end beams, B B', together with the braces a and a3, support the short crank-axles C C,on which are journaled the carrying-wheels b l1'. These crank-axles are provided with handles c, having springpressed pawls attached thereto, which engage with perforations c in the sector-bar D, tiXed upon the. frame. By means ot' this construetion the barrow-frame can be raised or lowered at will, thereby holding the teeth above the surfaceof the ground or lowering them to an operative position; or either side of the frame canbe raised or lowered to suit any unevenness of the ground. l

E is the draftpole, which passes through a collar secured tothe front beamgA, and is pivotally secured therein by a pin passing The inner end of the pole is perforated, and is secured hetween the braces aa2 by a bolt passing through said braces and perforation, and held in position by a nut. By this means the pole is adjusted as required.

F F F2 F3 represent respectively the roekshafts, which are arranged transversely to the line of draft, each section being free to operate independently of the other. These sectionstwo in the present instance-are arranged one on each side of the draft-pole, and consist of the front and rear rock-shafts, F F', composing one section and rock shafts F2 and F3 the other section. These sectionsare arranged to operate simultaneously and independently of each other, so that in passing over an-ob'- struction on one side of the harrow that side can be elevated without changing the position y F F F2 F3, and arel secured thereto by the screw-threaded end p, passing around the roekshaft and up through the open slot m, formed in the opposite end of the clip. To the upper side of the clip or collar His connected a bolt, s, in any desired manner.

The spring-metal harrow-teeth I are formed to encircle the forward part of collar H, and are then curved downwardly, then rearwardly, and then downwardly again, so that a sufficient length of spring shall be located at the rear of the rock-shaft to allow the spring to yield vertically and ride over any small obstructions or v obstacles without interfering with the operation of any of the other teeth; butin theevent that any obstruction of such size or height is encountered as might injure or break the teeth the latter may be readily raised to ride over such obstruction without injury thereto. The upper ends of the teeth are provided with two holes, r r', adapted to register with the screw-threaded end of the clip p and the bolt s on its upper side and be secured in place by nuts.

The above construction allows the teeth that have been broken or worn to be replaced without removing the clip from the rock-shaft. So also can the teeth be adjusted on the rockshafts to allow greater penetration in light soil without altering the height of the frame by simply unloosening the nut on the end of the clip and turning the clips and teeth until in the required position, when they can be secured by the nut.

The rock-shafts composing each section are connected by means of the spring-arms t' and combined hand-lever and connecting-rod G. These spring-arms are bent as shown. in the drawings, and have a shoulder,j, formed on one end thereof, which fits in a mortise in the rock-shaft. The springarm 't' on the front shaft is connected therewith on top, and then curved around the rear side, and extended below, while the arm on the rear shaft is attached on the under side, and curves around the front and extends above the shaft. The free ends of these arms are then connected to the combined lever and connecting-rod G, by which the shafts are oscillated. The combined lever and connecting-rod is composed of two parts connected by a hinge-joint, which is situated between the rock-shafts composing one section, and is arranged obliquely to the frame of the barrow, the lower end thereof lying below the front rock-shaft and connected to the springarm t' in any suitable manner, and the springarm on the rear rock-shaft being connected to the lever just above the rock-shaft in the same manner. rIhe hinge before referred to lies between the rock-shafts, and is adapted to open downward by elevating the rear end of the combined lever and connecting rod, which partly revolves the rock-shafts and elevates the teeth without changing the position ofthe frame. It is evident that this result can be accomplished in many different ways-such,

-for instance, as transposing the arrangement of the spring-arms and lever-that is, having the spring arm of the front shaft extend above the same and the spring-arm on the rear shaft below the same and connected by the lever with its handle end in front of the machine. Agaimthis same result could be accomplished with gear-wheels between the rock-shafts capable of -being operated by a lever and numerous ways resorted to for accomplishing the same result.

The teeth can be operated from the drivers seat on the frame or from behind by simply elevating the outer end of the lever, which allows th'e teeth to become disengaged from the ground and ride above the surface thereof. The rock-shafts are free to rock or rotate, when in locked working position, either backward or forward, and all resistance offered to the teeth on the front rock-shaft is transmitted to the rear shaftthrough the medium of the combined lever and connectingrod, and equalizes the pressure on the teeth.

Any undue pressure exerted upon the springmetal teeth of either the forward or rear sections of the rock-shafts, owing to the teeth striking an obstruction, will operate to liftthem out of the ground, so as to ride over such obstruction. Again, the force that tends to draw the teeth into the soil will be 'equalized between the front and rear rock-shafts of each section, and thus cause the teeth to sustain equal wear and further produce uniform work in breaking up and pulverizing the soil.

It is evident that slight changes in the construction may be resorted to without depart-I ing from the spirit of myinvention; and hence I would have it understood that I do notlimit myselt to the exact construction shown and described 5 but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In 'a wheel harrow, the combination, with a rigid frame supported at oppositel ends by carrying-wheels, of independent series of rollers or rock-shafts journaled in the supportingframe at opposite sides of its transverse center, whereby the series of rollers at opposite sides of the supporting-frame may be operated independently of each other, said rollers or rock-shafts having spring-metal teeth secured thereto, and connecting-rods pivotaliy connected to the rock-shafts of each series, said connecting-rods heilig jointed at a point between said rock-shafts or rollers, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wheel-barrow, the combination, with a rigid frame supported at opposite ends by carrying-wheels, of rock-shafts provided with spring-metal teeth, said roekshafts beingjournaled in the rigid frame, and connecting-rods attached to two ot' said rock-shafts, said connecting-rods being jointed at a point between the rock-shafts, the joint constructed to cause the connecting-rod to operate as a rigid rod IOO IOS

IIO

when subjected to end pressure, and to fold when either end ofthe connectin g-rod is raised, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wheel-barrow, the combination, with a rigid frame supported at opposite ends by carrying wheels, of rock-shafts journaled in the rigid frame, and connecting-rods attached to said rock-shafts, said connecting-rods being each provided with a joint located between the rock-shafts, said joint allowing the two portions of the connecting-rod to be depressed and preventing said parts from yielding in an upward direction, the rear portion ot' theconnectingrod being formed with a handle, substantially as set forth.

4. In a wheel-barrow, the combination, with independent rock-shafts having spring-metal teeth secured thereto, of a combined connecting-rod and operating-lever located above one rock-shaft and below the other and attached to said rock-shafts by means of spring-metal arms, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wheel-barrow, the combination, with a rigid frame supported at opposite ends by carrying-wheels, of rock-shaftsV provided with spring-metal teeth, and a connecting-rod attached to the under side of one rock-shaft and the upper side of the other, said connectingrod being provided with a joint between the two rock-shafts, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a tooth-supportin g bar, of a circular harrow-tooth-fastening clip completely encircling the bar andprovided with fastening devices on its opposite ends, whereby it may be drawn tightly around the bar and secured thereto in any desired rotary adjustment, substantially asset forth.

7. The combination, with a tooth-supporting bar, of a barrow-tooth-fastening clip constructed to completely encircle the bar, one end of said clip being screw-.threaded and the other provided with an open slot, and a nut for drawing the clip tightly around the tooth- `supporting bar, substantially as set forth.

'CRAIG MURRAY.

Witnesses A. E. GoRBlsHLEY, C. E. BArLEY. 

